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What if the Gunpowder Plot had succeeded?
Episode 2401
We know the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 failed – but what if it hadn’t? What if Guy Fawkes had ignited the gunpowder under parliament, killing the king, nobles and bishops, and reducing Westminster to rub…
Published on 21 hours ago
Bodies, bones & overflowing churchyards: a history of graveyards
Episode 2400
Burying the dead has never been a simple matter. Whether due to elaborate grave goods, unique burial rituals, or public health concerns, burial places through history have taken on a variety of unusu…
Published on 2 days, 21 hours ago
Myspace and MTV: how will future historians study the 21st century?
Episode 2399
From social-media accounts to TV shows and video games, recent decades offer an enormous wealth of material for future historians to explore. But what are the challenges presented by this vast amount…
Published on 4 days, 21 hours ago
Malcolm X: life of the week
Episode 2398
Malcolm X was one of the most influential – and, sometimes, divisive – figures of the civil rights movement in the United States, a political activist whose approach proved both powerful and controve…
Published on 5 days, 21 hours ago
Ghosts, grief and the paranormal
Episode 2397
Why are we so spooked – and yet so fascinated – by things that go bump in the night? And can science really prove that ghouls exist? Alice Vernon talks to Jon Bauckham about the evolution of ghost-hu…
Published on 6 days, 21 hours ago
How the Gunpowder Plot unravelled
Episode 2396
In the autumn of 1605, Catholic conspirators believed they were about to strike a blow to the heart of the English state – but then a mysterious letter exposed their plan. In this second episode of o…
Published on 1 week ago
Sex and sensationalism: a history of the tabloids
Episode 2395
Tabloid journalists often get a bad press. From publishing libellous headlines to hacking celebrities’ phones, recent years have not exactly done much to enhance Fleet Street’s reputation. But where …
Published on 1 week, 2 days ago
11th-century Europe: not just the Norman Conquest
Episode 2394
When we think of Europe in the 11th century, one date stands out: 1066. However, as Professor Charles West explains, this was a century of great change, and great events, across all of Europe. In con…
Published on 1 week, 4 days ago
William Shakespeare: life of the week
Episode 2393
William Shakespeare is one of history’s most famous names – but how much do we really know about the man himself? And how did his family, education and marriage shape his works and influence his worl…
Published on 1 week, 5 days ago
Tudor life with Ruth Goodman
Episode 2392
What did ordinary Tudors eat and drink on a daily basis? How did they keep themselves clean without baths and showers? And what surprising beliefs did they hold about sex, religion and childhood? Soc…
Published on 1 week, 6 days ago